I had the pleasure to stand in front of over 120 people, for a talk about a subject I care about. I wrote down a summary, which you will find below.

As a psychotherapist and career coach, it has become clear to me that, in the last few years, many women are abandoning the ship. With that, I’m referring to the organisations and companies that employed them, before they decided to become entrepreneurs. Why are so many women giving up their security to jump into the unknown? I have done quite some research on the subject and these are the results I would like to present to you tonight. And at the same time, I wonder why HR fails at keeping these talented and driven women on board.

The first keyword is FLEXIBILITY, which contains more than one subject:

GETTING THINGS DONE

It’s not about multitasking, it’s about “doing the work”. They don’t want to wait for marketing to deliver a text or for finance to clear a purchase. They just want to get the job done and are capable of making the right decisions themselves. Because they are flexible. A talent, HR momentarily lets go to waste.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work-life balance as an entrepreneur, you might wonder? Aren’t they working impossibly hard for an unknown reward? Maybe, but their schedule is their own. And it’s not only about taking care of or spending time with their family. Because not all female entrepreneurs have children or a husband. They want time to take courses, to travel, to take a yoga class in the morning or to work hard for their purpose.

CREATIVITY

Women are great problem solvers and often think ahead and out of the box. When HR puts them in a narrow box, they get bored because they can’t use their creativity. Because where’s the fun or challenge in “painting by number”? Wouldn’t every company benefit from people with a longterm vision, from women who find opportunities and strive forefficiëncy?? HR might offer the frame … and should let its employees colour it in.

OWNERSHIP

One-in-six of the female business owners want to be their own boss and like the responsibilities and rewards that come from owning a company. The clear ambition of the respondents shows their confidence in their business skills. Some of the respondents also said they identified a clear gap in the market and decided to pursue it by setting up a business.

I JUST HAD TO

And some of them started their own business as they felt it was their vocation, their calling and they had just been in the right place at the right time.

IT’S MY BABY

This is something I hear quite often. Female entrepreneurs are very dedicated to their mission, to the ‘why’ of their company. To be able to identify themselves with their business is very important to them. This challenges HR, to build a work environment and context in witch intrapreneurs can expand their knowledge and skills as well as feeling an organisation fit.

IMPACT

You will find that most female entrepreneurs are quite result driven. They do want to have an impact on the lives of their buyers or clients. By working from the heart, they focus on creating social impact.

THEY PURSUE THEIR PASSION

Many women leave a rewarding job to become an entrepreneur and pursue their passion. Isn’t it sad that you have to quit your job to be able to fullfill this need? What part could HR play to keep these passionate women on board?

VALUES

Authenticity, trust, and transparency are key values in their business ventures. This ideology extends beyond how they treat others in their organization to how they do business with their partners, suppliers and customers. Whatever they do needs to feel right.

THEY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

These female entrepreneurs don’t just make money, they build relationships as well. They are often more in tune with the feelings and thoughts of their employees and customers. This empathy can help them in the long run because they can have some contacts available if they end up needing help in some aspect of their business.

TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR CAREERS

The glass ceiling has paved a way for business ownership among women. Women are taking back their independence. Female entrepreneurship is on the rise because of the dissatisfaction with the corporate world, gender inequality, salary gap and restrictions to advancement to corporate boards of directors. So these businesswomen adjust the sails of their ship and are in control of their destination.

FREEDOM

Female entrepreneurs want to find a medium between their career and the areas of their personal life. Again, HR could easily offer their employees what is it that they need, individually, to stay on board.

LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE MILLENIALS

Millennials, particularly female, are more likely to resign if they feel they are not getting any value out of their work or if they feel like they need to compromise their morals to do their job. Young women also cite wage inequality, being overlooked for promotions, and a lack of female mentors as reasons for leaving their job and corporate life. They really want to feel inspired by their supervisor.

SUPERWOMAN

Being an entrepreneur requires an unbelievable amount of discipline, being open to change, taking risks, being structured, handling disappointments, overcoming failures, and not having a steady paycheck.

THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT

Instead of spending years climbing the corporate ladder, these female entrepreneurs reach for the sky.
They feel more rewarded and challenged, although the stakes are higher. They work towards building their dream and not someone else’s.

GENDER EQUALITY

How would you feel, if you were paid less, just because you’re a woman?

DIVERSITY AND AUTHENTICITY

Companies need more diversity in tasks and responsibilities. There are lots of challenges out there for HR. Because, let’s face it, wouldn’t you like to keep all of that expertise inside your company instead of watching the most driven people leave?

CLOSE THE GAP

So, I strongly believe Human Resources should find a way to put the Human Being back into the H of HR.

DisruptHR Belgium 10/2018
Karine Van Oosterbos
K-onsult